Fresh off the franchise’s second Super Bowl title, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider joined Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob on Thursday for the 2026 debut of The John Schneider Show, which will run weekly up until the NFL Draft on April 23.
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Here are a few highlights from what Schneider said.
The team’s tight-knit culture
Schneider credited head coach Mike Macdonald for instilling a tight-knit culture that was strikingly evident throughout the team’s 14-3 regular season and run to the Lombardi Trophy.
Part of that stemmed from a monthly tradition where Macdonald would send players from different position groups on walk-and-talks around the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
“Last spring, Mike was like, I’ve got to do a better job of like the connectedness of our whole group,” Schneider said. “And so those walkarounds that you guys have heard about, like, that’s legit.”
Schneider saw that play out on one of the team’s road trips, when he spotted defensive tackle Jarran Reed and punter Michael Dickson hanging out.
And of course, it was on full display when linebacker Ernest Jones IV stepped up to the press conference podium and delivered an impassioned defense of his quarterback after Sam Darnold’s four-interception performance in a Week 11 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
“They’re very connected and they literally like look out for each other,” Schneider said. “Obviously, you saw it with Ernest at the Rams game down there.”
Reflecting on the Allen family’s ownership
With the Seahawks now officially up for sale, Schneider praised the late owner Paul Allen and chair Jody Allen for their “phenomenal” work over the years.
He also shared a fun anecdote about Paul Allen.
“I remember one day we had a holdout or hold-in or something going on, and he had a brain surgeon from Denmark that he just met with at the (Allen Institute for Brain Science),” Schneider said. “He came in to just kind of check to see how I was doing with this holdout, and I’m thinking to myself, this guy’s amazing, and we’re talking about a guard right now.
“I’m like, Paul, we’re sitting here having this conversation? And he’s like, you know, John, you’ve gotta have a little yin and yang in your life. And I’m like, OK, I get it. I get it. He was awesome.”
Schneider said he talked with Jody Allen a few nights ago about the Seahawks being put up for sale.
“She’s like, hey, let’s let it rip. Let’s go. She wants another (Super Bowl). She’s just great,” Schneider said.
“And I think my role here over the next however long this takes is … to just kind of help the transition and kind of shield the football people – just like let them do their jobs and let’s just keep doing what we do.”
Walker’s success down the stretch
Schneider was asked about Super Bowl MVP running back Kenneth Walker III, who flourished down the stretch with the best production of his four-year NFL career.
From Week 16 through the Super Bowl, Walker totaled 771 yards from scrimmage, 5.2 yards per carry and five touchdowns over the Seahawks’ final six games – capped by a 161-yard performance in the Super Bowl.
Schneider praised Walker’s decisiveness as a runner and also credited run game specialist/assistant offensive line coach Justin Outten, who took over the running back coach duties in mid-December after Kennedy Polamalu took a leave of absence for personal reasons. Outten has since been promoted to run game coordinator, according to a report on Thursday.
“I think Justin Outten did a great job with that room when he took over,” Schneider said. “I felt like Ken was just a little bit more decisive. And then when, I mean, it was so sad with Zach (Charbonnet). When Zach (tore his ACL in the NFC divisional round), Ken really took that as a badge, like, I’m gonna kick butt for my buddy, and those guys are so close. He did a great job.”
The Seahawks now have a big decision on the horizon over whether to re-sign Walker or let him enter free agency.
“Ken went on a great run,” Schneider said. “And we’ll go down to the (NFL) combine next week and sit down with everybody and get a lay of the land and see where everybody’s heads are at – the agents and that world – and talk to other teams.”
The John Schneider Show will air on Wyman and Bob every Thursday at 4 p.m. leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft.
Seattle Seahawks offseason coverage
• The Ken Walker contract situation: What you need to know
• Paul Allen’s Seahawks ownership was a ‘one of one’ legacy
• Four things we learned from new Seattle Seahawks OC Brian Fleury
• Why Macdonald landed on Fleury as Seattle Seahawks’ new OC
• An expert’s view: What to know as Seattle Seahawks go up for sale